name change

[chriszzr600]

Can anyone tell me if my ex wife can legally change my kids surname if they are under sixteen? Does she have to ask my permission? How do i stand here? What are my rights as the father? Thanks, Chris.

[missspeedy23]

This might help

http://www.terry.co.uk/change_of_surname_01.ht ml

[Buenchico]

Do you have 'parental responsibility'?

If you married to your ex-wife at the time that your child was born, you will have parental responsibility. You will also have parental responsibility if your child was born on or after 01/12/03 and your name appears on the birth certificate. (That date applies to England. It's different elsewhere in the UK). You might also have been granted parental responsibility by a court (or acquired it by other legal means).

If you have parental responsibility, your permission is required to change your child's name by deed poll, until he/she becomes 18 (not 16):
http://www.clsdirect.org.uk/en/legalhelp/leafl et31_6.jsp

Chris